Fence-clamp.



B. F. NUMMY.

' FENUE GLAMP. A APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1909.

937,260. Pa,tented0ct.19,1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIG BENJAMIN F. NUMMY, 0F BILLINGSLEY, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM M. PARKER, 01? BILLINGSLEY, ALABAMA.

FENCE-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed. May 1'7, 1909. Serial No. 496,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. NUMMY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Billingsley, in the county of Autauga and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Fence-Clamp, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of the invention are, generally, the provision, in a merchantable form, of a device of the class above mentioned which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, facile in operation and devoid of complicated parts; specifically, the provision of a pair of coiiperating jaws of novel and improved construction; of novel means for uniting the jaws and for bringing them into engagement with each other; and of novel means for assembling a tension element with the said jaws, whereby they may be brought into coiiperative relation and a strain be applied to the fence which is inclosed between them; other and further objects being made manifest hereinafter as the description of the invention progresses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, delineated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed for certain distinctive and peculiar features of the device, it being understood that, within the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed, divers changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure maybe made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows my inventlon in perspective; Fig.

2 is a transverse section of the device on the line AB of Fig. 1, parts being broken away; Fig. 3 shows in transverse section, the cutting plane being disposed as in Fig. 2, a modified form of the invention; Fig. 4 shows in transverse section, the cutting plane being disposed as in Fig. 2, a further modification of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide, primarily, a pair of jaws 3 and 4, arranged to engage between them the wire fence 1 which is supported in the usual manner upon posts 2. The j aw4is longitudinally grooved, as denoted by the numeral 6, and the jaw 3 is provided with a longitudinally disposed tongue 5,adapted to register in the groove 6 of the jaw 4. Upon its outer face and relatively near its ends, the jaw 3 is provided with levers 7 These levers 7 extend across the jaw 3 and are terminally provided with eyes 8, which, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, are inbent. The other ends of the levers 7 terminate in hooks 9. The jaw 4 is provided on its outer face and relatively near to its ends, with a pair of levers 10, each of which, like the levers 7, is extended beyond the jaw by which it is carried, the said levers 1O terminating beyond the jaw in a hook 11, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is inbent, to engage the eye 8 of the opposite lever 7. Each of the levers 10 terminates at its free end in an eye 12. It is to be understood that the distance between the levers 7 is substantially the same as the distance between the levers 10, so that each one of the levers 7 may be disposed in a common horizontal plane with one of thelevers 10.

A flexible element 14, preferably a chain, has one of its terminals inseparably connected with the eye 12, its other terminal being arranged to be engaged by the hook 9 of the lever 7. A draw-bar 16 is provided, and

this draw-bar 16 is terminally inclosed within the flexible element 14, pins or like elements being introduced into the draw-bar 16 adjacent its ends, in order to retain the flexible elements 14 in place upon the drawbar. Mounted upon the draw-bar 16 and preferably disposed midway between the flexible elements 14 is a collar 18, having a groove to receive a hook 19, to which is attached a chain 20 or like element, the other terminal of the chain 20 (not shown) being connected with a span of draft animals, a winch, or other means whereby a tensile strain may be applied to the fence. It is obvious that the pins 17 and the collar 18 serve so to restrain the parts of the device that the pull upon the chain 20 may be transmitted to best advantage, to the jaws 3 and 4.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the levers 7 and 10 are made to diverge, so that, when the draw-bar 16 is inserted within the flexible elements 14 shown in Fig. 2, and a pull is exerted upon the chain 20, the

jaws will be forced together and held upon the fence.

In practical operation, the jaws 3 and 4 are disposed upon opposite sides of the fence, and the interlocking elements 8 and 11 are made to engage each other. In case the device is not used at the end of the strip of fence, the free end of the flexible element 14 is passed through the roll 15 of the fence and about the draw-bar 16 between the pins 17, the free end of the said flexible element 14 being engaged by the hook 9 of the lever 7. The hook 19, should a device of this sort be used, is seated in the groove of the ring 18, and a pull is applied to the fence. As soon as the flexible elements 20 and 14 are slackened, the jaws 3 and 4 will relax their hold upon the fence, whereupon the interlocking elements 8 and 11 may be disassociated and the device he removed from the fence. The tongue 5 and the groove 6 which are carried by the adjacent faces of the jaws 3 and 4 serve to retain firmly between the said jaws the fence which is being subjected to the stretching operation.

It will be seen that the device, although simple in construction, furnishes a clamp which may be applied readily to a wire fence, the clamp being adapted to hold the fence without vmar-ring or impairing the utility of the same, and that the clamp may be removed readily from the fence as soon as the stretching operation is completed.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification of my invention, wherein the jaws 25 and 26 have been altered by the omission of the tongue and groove in their cooperating faces. In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the jaws 25 and 26 of Fig. 3 have been retained, the tongue and groove of Fig. 2 being omitted, the jaws 25 and 26, upon their cooperating faces, being provided with plates 27.

The use of the form of jaws shown in Figs. 3 and 4 will obviate any objection arising from the fact that the groove 6 and the tongue 5 of Fig. 2, tend, under certain circumstances, to crimp or bend, slightly, the fence which is included between them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect, by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of separable, cooperating jaws; a pair of levers carried by each of the jaws, each pair being extended across the jaws and provided in their extended portions with interlocking elements; flexible elements uniting the terminals of the levers remote from their interlocked terminals; and a draw-bar connecting the flexible elements.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of separable, cooperating jaws; a pair of lovers carried by each end of the jaws, each pair being extended across the jaws and being provided in their extended portions with interlocking elements; flexible elements uniting the terminals of the levers remote from their interlocked terminals; and a draw-bar terminally inclosed by the flexible elements and provided with stops to retain the flexible elements.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of separable, cooperating jaws; a pair of levers carried by each end of the jaws, each pair being extended across the aws and provided in their extended portions with interlocking elements; flexible elements uniting the terminals of the levers remote from their interlocked terminals; and a draw-bar terminally inclosed by the flexible elements and provided with stops to retain the flexible elements; and means disposed upon the drawbar intermediate the stops, for securing a tension element.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as m i own I have hereto aflixed 1n 1 si naturein the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. NUMMY. Witnesses A. J. CARTER, L. A. MARLAR. 

